I agree, the play is at the level of the mind.
What is observed is that there are mental 'obstacles' which people come up against in their search for truth or desire to end suffering. We could call those obstacles "stages on the path", but really any stage is an obstacle to the ultimate truth. The truth alone liberates.
But to deny people their "obstacles" can result in more obstruction as the mind rebells to what it feels is a fact. Take for example superstition, we can say it is not needed, but by telling a superstitious person this, they only try harder to confirm that their beliefs are needed, they re-enforce their mind's obstacles. They must remove their mental obstacles through their own Self inquiry.
What is also observed is that the mind will keep coming back to doubts and issues, over and over again, as that is the mind's nature to dwell on regurgitate doubts, memories, questions and answers ad infinitum. Until the mind is seen as the mechanism that it is. hahaha